TOPS announce new EP 'Empty Seats', share single "Perfected Steps" & announce UK & European live dates.
Montreal-based group TOPS return with the announcement of their new EP ‘Empty Seats’, due for release on May 10th via their label Musique TOPS. In tandem with the EP announcement, TOPS share the single "Perfected Steps," a six-and-a-half-minute double song seamlessly woven together.
Of the new single, TOPS vocalist Jane Penny says:
"'Perfected Steps' is about some right wing aging loser clinging to their glory days, values out of sync with reality. It feels like for some reason people like this still have an enormous presence in everybody’s lives and it’s super irritating.
We thought that maybe if we write a song placing this mentality in the past where it belongs we could bully this vibe peacefully out of existence."
The song's structure mimics its lyrical themes with its progression across nearly 7-minutes of music, unabashedly employing TOPS’ more traditional country and rock influences to lambast an outdated worldview.
In addition to "Perfected Steps," the 5-track EP 'Empty Seats' will also include the previously released tracks "Waiting" and "Party Again," both of which were originally released in 2021.
Press shot by Tess Roby
TOPS live dates:
Apr 05 - Hamilton, ON @ Bridgeworks
Apr 06 - London, ON @ Rum Runners
Apr 07 - St. Catharines, ON @ Warehouse
Apr 08 - Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
Apr 21 - Cairo, EG @ Cairo Jazz Club
May 21 - Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling @ Paradiso
May 23 - Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds
May 24 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange
May 26 - Liverpool, UK @ Jimmy's
May 27 - Manchester, UK @ YES
May 28 - Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
May 29 - Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club
May 30 - Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Jun 01 - London, UK @ Village Underground
Jun 03 - Groningen, NL @ Vera
Jun 04 - Utrecht, NL @ Ekko
Jun 05 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Jun 06 - Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire
Jun 08 - Lyon, FR @ Sonic
Jun 10 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Jun 13 - Bologna, IT @ Covo Summer
Jun 14 - Zurich, CH @ Komplex 457
Jun 15 - Munich, DE @ Strom
Jun 17 - Prague, CZ @ Underdogs Ballroom
Jun 19 - Berlin, DE @ Berghain Kantine
Jun 21 - Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset Byhaven
Jun 22 - Gothenburg, SE @ Oceanen
Jun 23 - Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7
Jun 24 - Oslo, NO @ John Dee
Jun 26 - Malmö, SE @ Plan B
Jun 28 - Opole, PO @ Klubokawiarnia
Jun 29 - Warsaw, PO @ Poglos
TOPS were formed in Montreal when song-writing duo David Carriere and Jane Penny decided to join forces with drummer Riley Fleck. Since then they have become one of the most influential underground bands of the past decade, creating a space for sophisticated pop music in the indie world.
Their tendency to opt towards making straight-forward, stripped down and honest recordings lets their pop songwriting shine out in the open. With a heart firmly attached to their sleeves, their songcraft delves into the emotional intricacy of personal relationships, asking questions about power and desire. Riley Fleck’s measured drumming and David Carriere’s trademark guitar licks mesh with Marta Cikojevic’s lush keyboards. All these elements work in tandem and in service of Jane Penny’s unmistakable, wistful voice.
The result of this mixture is a collection of four self-produced records and a handful of singles that cover a range of moods and a complex emotional realm while maintaining a groove and musicality. Soft rock infused pop hits flow easily, surrounded by their signature moody ballads.